An Analytical Slab Model for the Growth of the Coastal Thermal Internal Boundary Layer Under Near-Neutral Onshore Flow Conditions

Analytical parameterisations of the thermal internal boundary-layer (TIBL) height based on the slab approach are widely used in coastal dispersion models. However, they tend to a singular behaviour when the stability of the onshore flow is close to neutral. Assuming that convective turbulence dominates mixing, we derive a more general analytical model that is valid for both stable and neutral onshore flows. The model is based on the existing framework for the slab approach but involving the Zilitinkevich correction (or the spin-up term). The height variation of the onshore flow lapse rate is accounted for in the model by including an initial TIBL height. An algebraic form of the model also includes the mechanical mixing contribution to the TIBL growth and is, therefore, suitable for use when the overland surface heat flux is small and friction velocity large. The new analytical model is tested with field measurements taken under near-neutral onshore flow conditions. The performance of the model is shown to be better than a commonly used TIBL parameterisation scheme.     

Understanding soil‐pipe flow and its role in ephemeral gully erosion

The role of soil pipeflow in ephemeral gully erosion is not well understood. Experiments were conducted on continuous soil pipes to better understand the role of internal erosion of soil pipes and its relation to ephemeral gully development. Soil beds of 140 cm length, 100 cm width and 20 cm depth had a single soil pipe of different initial sizes (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mm diameter) extend from a water reservoir to the outlet. Experiments were run on Providence silt loam and Smithdale loam soils under a constant head of 15 cm established for 30 min. Either the tunnel collapsed or the head could not be maintained. Soil pipes that were initially 2 and 4 mm clogged instantaneously at their mouth and did not exhibit flow, whereas, pipes initially ≥ 6 mm enlarged by 268, 397, and 699% on average for the 6, 8, and 10 mm diameters, respectively. Critical shear stress values were found to be essentially zero, and erodibility values gave erosion indexes that were extremely high. The rapid internal erosion resulted in erratic flow and sediment concentrations with periods of no flow as pipes were temporarily clogged followed by surges of high flow and high sediment concentrations. Tensiometers within 6 cm of the soil pipes did not exhibit pressure increases typically associated with pipe clogging. Flow through 10 mm diameter soil pipes exhibited tunnel collapse for both soils tested. Tunnel collapse typically occurred within minutes of flow establishment suggesting that ephemeral gullies could be misinterpreted as being caused by convergent surface flow if observations were made after the runoff event instead of when flow is first established through soil pipes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulated precipitation fields with variance-consistent interpolation

Abstract

Gridded meteorological data are available for all of Norway as time series dating from 1961. A new way of interpolating precipitation in space from observed values is proposed. Based on the criteria that interpolated precipitation fields in space should be consistent with observed spatial statistics, such as spatial mean, variance and intermittency, spatial fields of precipitation are simulated from a gamma distribution with parameters determined from observed data, adjusted for intermittency. The simulated data are distributed in space, using the spatial pattern derived from kriging. The proposed method is compared to indicator kriging and to the current methodology used for producing gridded precipitation data. Cross-validation gave similar results for the three methods with respect to RMSE, temporal mean and standard deviation, whereas a comparison on estimated spatial variance showed that the new method has a near perfect agreement with observations. Indicator kriging underestimated the spatial variance by 60–80% and the current method produced a significant scatter in its estimates.

Citation Skaugen, T. & Andersen, J. (2010) Simulated precipitation fields with variance-consistent interpolation. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(5), 676–686.     

The role of GPR techniques in determining ice cave properties: Peña Castil ice cave,Picos de Europa

The structure and ice content of ice caves are poorly understood. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) can provide useful insights but has only rarely been applied to ice caves. This paper interprets GPR images (radargrams) in terms of internal structure, stratification, compaction, thickness and volume of the ice block in the Peña Castil ice cave (Central Massif of Picos de Europa, northern Spain), providing the endokarst geometry of the ice cave in GPR data reflections. Eight radargrams were obtained by applying a shielded ground‐coupled antenna with a nominal frequency of 400 MHz. Although the radargrams do not depict the ice–basal bedrock interface, they suggest that the ice block is at least 54 m deep and similarly thick. Some curved reflection signatures suggest a potential vertical displacement in the block of ice, and thus certain dynamics in the ice body. Other images show numerous interbedded clasts and thin sediment layers imaged as banded reflections. In this particular cave a direct visual inspection of the ice stratigraphy is a difficult task but GPR provides clear reflectivity patterns of some of its internal features, making GPR a suitable instrument for this and future studies to achieve a better and broader understanding of the internal behavior of ice caves.     

辽吉地区古元古代造山作用的大陆动力学过程及其壳内响应

古元古代是地质演化历史中一个重要转折时期,探讨其大陆动力学特征、机制、过程及其壳内响应具有重要的科学意义．本文以辽吉地区古元古代造山带为例,结合同位素年代学资料,综合分析了该区大陆动力学过程的构造、变质、岩浆、沉积等方面壳内响应特征最后,将该区深部大陆动力学过程划分为三大历史阶段：1)造山期前伸展阶段,包括建造伸展期和改造伸展期,深部底侵发生,壳内响应出现基底裂解、盖层顺层滑脱、拉张型垂向递增变质、岩浆呈席状侵位等;2)造山期挤压收缩阶段,俯冲碰撞,岩石田地幢可能出现拆沉,壳内响应出现招皱逆冲、双侧造山、侧向递增变质、碰撞型岩浆作用发生、早期岩浆底辟再就位等;3)造山期后伸展塌陷阶段,大陆岩石田在重力均衡作用下发生微弱伸展塌陷,出现环斑花岗岩侵位,等压冷却为特征的退变质表明没有明显的伸展剥蚀,没有出现明显的山根．     

花岗岩中矿物相变的物性特征

本文通过对花岗岩弹性波速度、低频内耗和声发射随温度变化的实验研究，得出如下结论：波速和杨氏模具随温度的升高逐渐下降，到α-β相变点附近，波速和模量下降的梯度明显增大，并在此获得了标示石英相变的内耗峰。同时在相变点附近出现了声发射率的第二个高峰。     

Analysis of mechanical behaviour and internal stability of granular materials using discrete element method

Granular materials like sand are widely used in civil engineering. They are composed of different sizes of grains, which generate a complex behaviour, difficult to assess experimentally. Internal instability of a granular material is its inability to prevent the loss of its fine particles under flow effect. It is geometrically possible if the fine particles can migrate through the pores of the coarse soil matrix and results in a change in its mechanical properties. This paper uses the three‐dimensional Particle Flow Code (PFC3D/DEM) to study the stability/instability of granular materials and their mechanical behaviour after suffusion. Stability properties of widely graded materials are analysed by simulating the transport of smaller particles through the constrictions formed by the coarse particles under the effect of a downward flow with uniform pressure gradient. A sample made by an initially stable material according to the Kenney & Lau geometrical criterion was divided into five equal layers. The classification of these layers by this criterion before and after the test shows that even stable granular materials can lose fine particles and present local instability. The failure criterion of eroded samples, in which erosion is simulated by progressive removal of fine particles, evolves in an unexpected way. Internal friction angle increases with the initial porosity, the rate of lost fine particles and the average diameter D₅₀. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of flood intermittency on bifurcations in fluviodeltaic systems: Experiment and theory

The dimensions and organization of deltaic islands and channels dictate delta morphology. This study presents experimental results modelling deposition at a river mouth and flow bifurcation around delta islands. Mouth bar formation and channel bifurcation is achieved in a laboratory setting by alternating input of suspended load transport and bedload transport. These two modes of transport produce two characteristic deposits with different advection lengths. Suspended load transport creates a steep deposit far from the inlet, while bedload creates a low angle, levéed deposit near the inlet. This study found that flow bifurcations occur where the proximal and distal deposits encroach on one another; and determined that there is a relationship between the frequency of suspended load transport and the length to channel bifurcation. Frequent flooding causes shorter length to bifurcations, whereas infrequent flooding causes greater length to bifurcations. This work overturns the hitherto understood mechanism of bifurcation location as a function of only high-transport conditions. Instead, the interactions between the sediment transport and deposition from normal flow and large-scale flooding events dictate delta island morphology.     

A numerical study of sea breeze circulation observed at a tropical site Kalpakkam on the east coast of India, under different synoptic flow situations

A simulation study of the sea breeze circulation and thermal internal boundary layer (TIBL) characteristics has been carried out at the tropical site Kalpakkam on the east coast of India, for operational atmospheric dispersion prediction. The community based PSU/NCAR MM5 Meso-scale meteorological model is used for the study. Three cases on typical days in summer (24 May 2003), southwest (SW) monsoon (1 July 2001) winter season (2 February 2003) with different large-scale flow pattern are studied. The MM5 model is used with 3 nested domains with horizontal grid resolutions 18 km, 6 km and 2 km and 26 vertical levels. The model is integrated for 24 hours in the above cases with initial and boundary conditions taken from NCEP-FNL analyses data. Observations of 10 meteorological stations and coastal boundary layer experiments conducted at Kalpakkam are used for comparison and validation of the simulation. The characteristics of simulated sea breeze and TIBL at Kalpakkam are seen to vary in the above cases according to the prevailing large-scale winds and surface fluxes. The sea breeze circulation is seen to develop early with larger strength and inland propagation in the summer case under the influence of moderate synoptic wind and strong heating conditions than in the SW monsoon and winter cases. The horizontal and vertical extents of TIBL are found to be larger in the summer case than in other cases. Although model parameters agree in general with observations, all the fine features are not clearly captured and some slowness in model sea breeze development is also seen. The results indicate the need to improve i) the initial conditions by assimilation of available surface/upper air observations to reduce model bias and ii) surface net radiation parameterisation. The model could predict the essential features of the local circulation and further improvement is expected with better initial condition data and incorporation of more realistic surface data.     

基于内力的卫星编队飞行动力学建模

基于内力的卫星编队飞行凭借良好的性能正日益受到重视,但由于该类编队的控制力对卫星间的相对位置和相对姿态均高度敏感,并且控制力和控制力矩之间存在耦合,给动力学建模带来了很大的挑战.首先,建立了六自由度的内力编队姿轨耦合动力学模型,该动力学模型利用了控制力和控制力矩的耦合效应,可以同时针对编队卫星的相对位置和相应姿态设计相应的控制律,从而实现编队的六自由度协同控制.最后,通过采用伪谱法求解编队构型的重构问题,对该动力学模型进行了验证.